Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. I am here to speak in favor of S.J. Res. 14, a resolution I co-led with Representatives DeGette and Lamb.

We need to address methane emissions for several reasons, and today, I want to mention three.

First, controlling methane is the single most important immediate step we can take to combat climate change, and that is because methane is a super-pollutant responsible for about 25 percent of the man-made warming we experience today. This is the low-hanging fruit in climate mitigation.

My Republican colleagues never miss a chance--and you will hear this today--to point out that the natural gas revolution has contributed to our historic energy independence and cut our carbon dioxide emissions from energy production. That is right, but there is still a problem, and that problem is fugitive methane emissions.

While burning natural gas can lower CO2 emissions by as much as 40 to 50 percent versus burning coal, almost all of that benefit, from a climate change perspective, is wiped out even with small leaks of methane, which we have today. Put simply, to reap the climate benefits of natural gas, which are often touted, we have to address methane emissions.

Second, controlling methane is critical to the economic competitiveness of the U.S. natural gas industry. We should say thanks to the oil and gas industry when they do the right thing, but let's not fool ourselves by thinking that they are doing this because they are altruists. They are doing this because this is important to competitiveness. They are doing this because this makes American oil and gas more competitive. The reason is that world markets and domestic politics will not tolerate natural gas as a so-called bridge fuel unless the industry can prove, with real credibility and transparency, that it has fixed its methane problem.

It is increasingly apparent that the viability of exporting U.S. liquefied natural gas, or LNG, depends on American policies to address methane pollution.

Three of the largest LNG importers in the world, South Korea, Japan, and the European Union, have set goals to reduce emissions to net-zero by mid-century. These nations will demand verifiably clean gas from the United States.

On top of this, investors are increasingly putting pressure on financial institutions and demanding climate-smart investment portfolios. Natural gas will solely be seen as a climate risk and not as a climate opportunity if methane leaks persist.

We saw this recently in the cancellation by France of a deal for liquefied natural gas from Brownsville, $7 billion over 20 years. Ultimately, they were able to put that back together, but this is a sign of what is to come. If we don't get it right here, it is going to hurt business.

They all sounded like businesses to me, what Ms. DeGette talked about. I am not from Texas or Oklahoma, but I have heard of Exxon, and I have heard of the American Petroleum Institute. If they are for it, it says something about where business is, what they think about competitiveness.

Third, U.S. companies can lead the world in developing technologies to monitor and reduce methane emissions. Dealing with climate change is a science project. It is not a jobs program, but it does create a lot of jobs.

Seventy-five percent of the manufacturing firms and 88 percent of service firms in the sector report that they would create more jobs if the national methane standards were reinstated.

And the starting salary for methane mitigation jobs is nearly 10 percent higher than the national average salary and can pay up to $140,000 a year.

These companies represent the best of American innovation, creating economic opportunity and tackling global challenges at the same time.

Today, we in Congress can soundly reject one of the most irresponsible environmental rollbacks of the prior administration. We can restore robust methane pollution standards, and we can clear a path for stronger protections in the future.

I am proud to be a co-lead on this resolution. I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' This is a win-win-win for climate, public health, and U.S. industry.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to respond to a couple things I heard.

One is this tip of the iceberg idea that we are doing something beyond methane by doing this. Of course, that is not how it works around here. The laws are specifically written around what we are doing. We are only voting on this. I can tell you that if we were doing more than this, we might get a different response from the oil and gas industry than we have seen. That is not a real argument.

The other thing is that this is somehow cooked up by the Biden administration as a way to undercut oil and gas. Again, I want to go through all of the names that Ms. DeGette went through of the companies and organizations that support this regulation, but it is hard to argue that the American Petroleum Institute is anything other than American.

It is also hard to argue, even with a company that is based someplace else, that they would be arguing to burden, as it is characterized, their United States operations with these regulations. There would be no incentive for them to do that, no matter where the corporate headquarters is based.

The fact is that these companies see this as a way to be competitive, and it is not unprecedented. One thing we did on the committee last term that became part of the year-end spending plan was the American Innovation and Manufacturers Act, which regulated HFCs. If you recall, the industry supported the institution of standards around HFCs so that it could compete successfully with manufacturers around the world that are building from the same standards.

It was actually helpful for them to have a uniform standard that they could innovate around, and that is why Republicans and Democrats supported that and it became part of a bipartisan end-of-year package. We are in the same situation here where businesses are saying, set a standard here.

Don't tell us that we are going to get one set of regulations, by the way, in Colorado, and virtually no regulations in Texas. We are not being duplicative at all. What we are doing is setting a standard. Let's set a Federal standard. Let's do it at the request of the industry and with the cooperation of the industry to make sure we get it right.

And I guess the other remarkable thing that is implied by all of this discussion is that we are talking about regulating methane out of oil and gas production. No one is talking about banning oil and gas. We wouldn't have to be talking about methane at all if we were talking about that. In fact, we are trying to take oil and gas and get it right, to get it competitive, and get it to be climate-friendly for our future generations.

So I thought that the one glaring omission from my colleagues' arguments is: How do you explain so much support from American oil and gas companies for this regulation?

I wouldn't suggest that it is unanimous. I would say probably it is not. But to dismiss it is really, I think, missing the point. And I think it is obvious that this industry sees this as an advantage in terms of competitiveness going forward, as Mr. Lamb said as well.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I introduced the Ocean Pollution Reduction Act II, or OPRA II, for three reasons: one, to ensure that the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant's waiver process is fair and efficient; two, to further reduce the facility's pollution output to the ocean; and three, to increase our region's freshwater supply.

The city's proposed wastewater recycling plan, the Pure Water Program, will guarantee the region's water security and further reduce the amount of wastewater that flows into the ocean from the plant.

OPRA II requires that the city of San Diego demonstrate that the Pure Water Program can produce 83 million gallons of freshwater a day by 2036. This is an estimated one-third of the entire city's drinking water needs. Over the same period, the program is expected to reduce treated wastewater flows from the Point Loma plant by over 100 million gallons.

This bill replaces the complex and expensive secondary treatment waiver application with a simpler process, as long as the city meets stringent water recycling milestones.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise during Mental Health Awareness Month to bring attention to tardive dyskinesia, or TD, a persistent and potentially disabling movement disorder that can be a side effect of medications prescribed to treat mental illness.

According to a survey of people diagnosed with TD, more than half reported that the disorder seriously disrupts their sleep and their ability to work. People living with TD often face stigma, which can worsen mental health symptoms and cause withdrawal from society.

While TD affects over half a million people in the United States, it remains a relatively unknown condition, often unrecognized, and patients suffering from the illness may be misdiagnosed.

Earlier this month, Senator Chris Murphy introduced S. 184, recognizing the week of May 2 to May 8 as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week.

Improving awareness and understanding of TD will help reduce the stigma of mental illness and help us provide better treatment to this underserved patient population.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, like many, my district has been hit hard by this pandemic. The virus has claimed the lives of 3,200 San Diegans. Nine out of ten small businesses in the region report suffering in the face of COVID-related closures.

I am voting to send this bill to the Senate because this plan will safely reopen schools, get vaccines in arms, and help people get back to work and the economy back on track. And the bill allows States and localities to provide financial relief to our Nation's ports, like the Port of San Diego, which expects a loss this year of over $98 million.

Still, I remain concerned about the targeting and accountability around some of the funding, so I am urging the Senate to make some comments and some improvements: Extend the duration of unemployment payments, ideally with automatic triggers; adjust the amount of timing of State aid based on real revenue shortfall resulting from COVID; and expand funding for industries bearing the brunt of this crisis, like small restaurants, public attractions, and live entertainment.

Mr. Speaker, I am voting ``yes'' because this is a good start. We have to keep it on track, but there is more work to do.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

When Congress passed the emergency COVID bill in December, we knew more resources would be needed to fight the virus and provide additional relief for many Americans who have been devastated financially. Now we are working to accomplish that by March 14 when the enhanced unemployment benefits will expire.

I fully support the beginning of the process of budget reconciliation because we need to start the clock. In my

experience in Congress, and yours, too, we all know that this place works much better with a deadline.

However, I would hope that we can respond to this challenge in a bipartisan way as we did last March and again in December, and maybe this proposal could be better targeted.

I am encouraged by the $600 billion proposal of 10 Republican Senators. Some have scoffed at this offer, called it an insult, or dismissed it as not serious. I don't agree with that. $600 billion is a lot of money, but it is not adequate for the task at hand. We need more help to open schools and to keep people housed. State and local governments need assistance to prevent more layoffs and make up for lost revenue, and we should stop guessing how long we will need unemployment and food assistance.

As the New Democrat Coalition has advocated from the beginning, we should enact automatic triggers to keep them flowing and then shut them off according to economic conditions.

Our biggest challenge as a nation is not one particular issue, but the deep division among us here in Congress and among citizens across America. Bipartisanship has intrinsic value and we should prioritize it. But today's action will ensure that we have a relief package on time no matter the politics. This is a step we have to take.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate three of my constituents--Susan Ackerman and William McGinnis of the University of California, San Diego, and Jeremy Jackson of Scripps Institution of Oceanography--for their election to the National Academy of Sciences.

At UCSD, Susan works to enrich the field of neurology through her dedication to in-depth research of molecular pathways. William is a leader in cell and developmental biology, studying the genetic systems that control development and regeneration of tissues in animals.

Susan joins a record number of women who make up 40 percent of the newly elected class, the most ever elected in any one year, to date. This is another milestone for representation of women in science.

Jeremy is a renown ecologist, paleobiologist, and conservationist at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, where he researches human impacts on the environment and the evolution of coral reefs.

San Diego's research institutes are vital to scientific discoveries, and each member helps fuel San Diego's innovation economy through their work. Susan, William, and Jeremy join 111 other National Academy of Sciences members from San Diego's research institutes.

This year, the National Academy of Sciences celebrates 156 years of furthering science in America. The Academy has helped inform engineering and health policy, and Susan, William, and Jeremy will add the expertise of San Diego's scientific community as the Academy fulfills its mission.

Since Congress chartered the Academy in 1863, it has been at the forefront of what makes America the most innovative place in the world.

I thank Susan Ackerman, William McGinnis, and Jeremy Jackson for representing San Diego in the Academy and for their fine work.

Commending Judy Ki on Her Community Leadership

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Judy Ki, a Chinese American in my district who has been a force for change in San Diego.

Judy is originally from Hong Kong and taught middl school science in the San Diego Unified School District for 30 years. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology, a master's of science in computer technology, and five teaching credentials.

During her teaching career, she received a certificate from then-Vice President Al Gore, acknowledging her for her work in environmental education. Judy was also recognized as a distinguished educator by Who's Who Among America's Teachers in both 2002 and 2003, thanks to nominations from her students.

Since retiring from teaching, she has been very involved in the Poway community and continues to serve as a volunteer and mentor, especially within the Asian and Pacific Islander community.

I thank Judy for her dedicated years as an educator and for her commendable leadership in providing a voice for the San Diego AAPI community.

Congratulating Scripps Spelling Bee Participant Elliott Husseman

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Elliott Husseman, winner of the 50th annual San Diego Union-Tribune Countywide Spelling Bee and a participant in the 92nd Scripps National Spelling Bee.

As an active student at Inspire Charter Schools, Elliott is an inspiration to his peers and the Poway community. Inspire Charter Schools teach students to be independent, critical thinkers and responsible San Diego citizens.

Elliott upheld the pillars of Inspire admirably, showing integrity and confidence under pressure. He demonstrated tenacity and levelheadedness beyond his years while competing in a record-breaking field of 562 spelling bee contestants.

Since 1925, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has cultivated a passion for learning among young Americans, reaching 11 million students each year. It offers a platform for students like Elliott to engage with like-minded students and represent their communities in an encouraging environment that fosters sportsmanship and respect.

The valuable experience of competing allows these young students to build

confidence and showcase their academic abilities, skills that are key to their future success.

Elliot's achievements in the Scripps National Spelling Bee represent the future of San Diego and the 52nd District. Please join me in congratulating Elliot here at home and on the national stage.

Mr. Chair, I thank Congresswoman Shalala for her work and this timely amendment to add $10 million for critical services for children for things like legal services, child advocates, counseling, and mental health services.

There is a humanitarian catastrophe at the border today. In San Diego, we see the kids and families who have traveled a long and treacherous path, but when they arrive, they are met with inhumane living conditions. ICE and CBP facilities are overcrowded, and it hardly gets better once the families are released.

Refugee resettlement agencies and the local governments have been the primary providers of these support services. The influx of families have left shelters overburdened and community resources strained.

The San Diego community has stepped up to meet this need when the administration has not, but these extra funds will protect families and ensure that all who claim asylum get the due process they are guaranteed under international law.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late Colonel Robert ``Bob'' Dingeman, a decorated veteran and beloved community leader who dedicated his entire life to service.

Bob's commitment to service began when he was just a teenager. He was living with his family in Hawaii and serving in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Bob helped to get the women and children to safety before joining the defense of the base, and the events of that day led Bob to a life of military service.

He graduated from West Point in 1945 and went on to serve in World War II, the Korean war, and the Vietnam war. During his decades of service, Bob earned a Silver Star, Soldier's Medal, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.

After retiring from the Army, Bob earned multiple master's degrees and worked as a college professor at San Diego Miramar College, teaching math, history, and political science.

Bob became a pillar of San Diego's Scripps Ranch community where he and his wife, Gaye, and their children made their home.

Bob helped create the town's council, the Scripps Ranch Civic Association; organized many annual traditions, including the Fourth of July Parade; and established the community newsletter.

The Robert E. Dingeman Elementary School opened in 1995, so named by the San Diego Unified School District to recognize Bob Dingeman's accomplishments in the community. The school celebrates Bob Dingeman Day every year on June 12, Bob's birthday.

Scripps Ranch and San Diego are better off for Bob's leadership and his community involvement. His legacy of military and volunteer service will continue to be an example for us all.

Please join me in honoring Bob Dingeman for his dedication to Scripps Ranch and his service to the country.

Recognizing Marine Corps Air Station Miramar's Commitment to

Alternative Energy

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on receiving a 2019 Secretary of Defense Environmental Award.

The award recognizes Marine Corps Air Station Miramar's commitment to protecting the environment while supporting the mission of the military.

The United States Department of Defense is the world's largest user of fossil fuels, and when the price of those fuels spike, it harms our mission. That is why the Marine Corps views energy security as national security.

The marines at Miramar have led on energy storage research through a partnership with the California Energy Commission's Electric Program Investment Charge and deployed a methane-to-energy project from an onsite landfill that generates half the base's energy.

MCAS Miramar's installation-wide microgrid delivers 100 percent renewable energy to the base. Its distribution can provide reliable energy to mission-critical facilities for 3 weeks if they are ever disconnected from the grid.

This achievement has wide implications for the Marines, San Diego, and the way we power our world. Energy innovation has always come naturally to the military, and MCAS Miramar embodies San Diego's forward-thinking approach and commitment to sustainability.

I thank Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and all marines stationed there for their service to our Nation. I thank Marine Corps leadership for their dedication to alternative energy.

Please join me in congratulating Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on the 2019 Secretary of Defense Environmental Award.

Recognizing New Children's Museum of San Diego

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the New Children's Museum of San Diego, winner of the 2019 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. This award is the highest honor given to museums that demonstrate extraordinary and innovative approaches to community service.

The New Children's Museum, which will celebrate its 36th anniversary this year, is a cornerstone of arts and culture for San Diego families.

The museum is certainly a model for engaging people of all backgrounds with art. They collaborate with community centers, social service organizations, and schools to spread art, creativity, and play outside the museum.

The New Children's Museum employs a philosophy that enables children to learn through play. Their philosophy is pervasive in their immersive exhibits that allow children to climb, touch, build, and engage with the art.

I brought my own children there to think, play, and create, like so many families, when they were younger.

Today, the museum offers free and reduced admission for military families, Head Start groups, homeless and foster children, migrant families, and more.

This award is a testament to the New Children's Museum's service to San Diegans.

Please join me in honoring the New Children's Museum.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late Colonel Robert ``Bob'' Dingeman, a decorated veteran and beloved community leader, who dedicated his entire life to service.

Bob's commitment to service began when he was just a teenager. Bob was living with his family in Hawaii and serving in the Reserve Officer Training Corps when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred.

Bob helped to get the women and children to safety before joining the defense of the base. The events of that day led Bob to a life of military service.

He graduated from West Point in 1945 and went on to serve in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. During his decades of service, Bob earned a Silver Star, Soldier's Medal, Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart.

After retiring from the Army, Bob earned multiple master's degrees and worked as a college professor at San Diego Miramar College, teaching math, history, and political science.

Bob also became a pillar of San Diego's Scripps Ranch community, where he, his wife Gaye, and their children made their home.

Bob helped create the town's council, the Scripps Ranch Civic Association; organized many annual traditions, including the 4th of July Parade; and established the community newsletter.

The Robert E. Dingeman Elementary School opened in 1995, so named by the San Diego Unified School District to recognize Bob Dingeman's accomplishments in the community. The school celebrates Bob Dingeman Day every year on June 12, Bob's birthday.

Scripps Ranch and San Diego are better off for Bob's leadership and community involvement. His legacy of military and volunteer service will continue to be an example for us all.

Please join me in honoring Bob Dingeman for his dedication to Scripps Ranch and his service to our country.

Mr. Chairman, President Trump has made clear what climate action he doesn't like. He doesn't like the Paris Agreement, which contemplated that every nation in the world would set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

He doesn't like the Clean Power Plan, which encouraged each State to create its own strategy to lower greenhouse gas emissions. And he doesn't like the CAFE standards that required automakers to lower emissions from cars and trucks.

Now, last month, the President's own EPA administrator came to the Energy and Commerce Committee, and he testified, and he agreed that climate change is happening, and that it is driven largely by human activity.

So the question is, what climate action does President Trump support? And that is the point of the Climate Action Now Act, which simply invites the President to tell us his strategy.

Now, there are many options, many bipartisan options, many mentioned by my colleague from Oregon, Mr. Walden. These are increasing research into energy storage technologies, pricing carbon, incentivizing more renewable energy, requiring or incentivizing energy efficiency, easing regulation for developing renewables, developing carbon capture and negative emissions technology, or investing in resiliency and more.

And we don't even need the President to draft new ideas. We have got existing bills from the last Congress and from this Congress we have assembled into The Climate Playbook, which you can find right on my Congressional website.

Mr. President, we get that you don't like President Obama's climate action ideas. Now tell us your climate action plans.

I encourage each of my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, to join me in making that request to President Trump by supporting and passing H.R. 9. Congress has a Climate Playbook.

Mr. President, tell us yours.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, a day before Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, to recognize the late Cornelis and Wilhelmina de Ru.

In 1940, Nazi forces invaded the Netherlands, and days later, the Dutch were forced to surrender. Throughout the next 5 years, the de Ru family risked everything to save the life of a young Jewish teenager, Maurits Kopuit. He was only one of two survivors in his family.

The de Rus understood the great risk involved in shielding Maurits, yet they displayed unyielding courage in their effort to save a fellow citizen.

During the Holocaust, the Nazis systematically killed 6 million Jews. However, throughout this nightmare, there were a few like the de Rus who refused to allow dark forces to prevail.

This past Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. de Ru were named Righteous Among the Nations for their heroic efforts to protect Mr. Maurits Kopuit from the Nazi regime during World War II.

Righteous Among the Nations is a special designation by Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, that conveys the gratitude of the State of Israel and of the Jewish people for those who took risks to save Jews during the Holocaust.

As of January 2018, Yad Vashem had recognized over 26,000 people from 51 different countries with the Righteous Among the Nations designation. Their names appear on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem. It is an unprecedented tribute by victims to those who stood by their sides.

Next week marks the 74th anniversary of the Nazi army's surrender. We must never forget the consequences of remaining silent in the face of evil and intolerance.

Please join me in honoring the de Rus' selfless actions and commemorating all those whose lives were lost.

Honoring the Life of Stan Smith

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late Stan Smith, an exemplary historian from Rancho Bernardo whose help made the San Diego Veterans History Project possible.

Stan's brother, Charlie, was killed during the invasion of Sicily in 1943 during World War II. This prompted Stan himself to join the U.S. Navy and later prompted his interest in recording veterans' accounts of their service during World War II and the Vietnam war.

Stan began helping my office in 2013 and worked with us for 3 years before going to help the San Diego Veterans Museum.

He recorded more than 100 oral histories of San Diego County veterans in

the 7 years since he began, ensuring that their stories would never be forgotten.

Stan understood the importance of passing history down from one generation to the next and thanking the men and women who, like Stan, served our country.

We are deeply grateful for Stan Smith's commitment to recording veterans' stories. His work has ensured that their stories will never be lost. Please join me in honoring Stan Smith and his children, who plan to carry on the work their father started.

Mr. Speaker, if there are any San Diegans who are interested in becoming involved with the Veterans History Project, I hope they will contact my office.

Congratulating ResMed

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate ResMed, a medical device company located in my district, for receiving the 2019 Duane Roth Renaissance Award.

Duane Roth was a champion of life sciences and tech entrepreneurship. He was a beloved community leader who defined San Diego's innovation ecosystem and economic diversity.

Every year, the Duane Roth Award is given to a company whose inventions and breakthroughs have improved the world around us. ResMed has combined groundbreaking sleep and respiratory medicine with technology to increase the accessibility and availability of treatment for those with sleep apnea and other chronic diseases. This year, ResMed is recognized for its commitment to improving quality of life, reducing the risk of chronic disease, and increasing access to healthcare.

ResMed exemplifies the innovation and discovery of San Diego, and I am proud to celebrate a San Diego company that has worked tirelessly to better healthcare on this well-deserved honor.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to speak of the tragic shooting that took place at the Chabad of Poway on Saturday. As the synagogue celebrated the last day of Passover, a 19-year-old terrorist walked in and opened fire with an assault rifle.

One woman was killed, and three others were badly hurt. Lori Gilbert- Kaye died while selflessly trying to protect her rabbi from the gunman. She is recalled as a faith-filled, generous caregiver who put others before herself. Lori died as she lived.

Yesterday I attended an event to honor local Holocaust survivors. As I watched these brave men and women who survived Nazi Germany, I was confronted with the tragic realization that

today in 2019, Jews are still being threatened by murderous white supremacists.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for a moment of silence, but we must follow it with action. We must act against gun violence and come together to stop the rising tide of white supremacy that plagues our Nation today.

Please join me in a moment of silence.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an American hero whose motto should inspire us all: You Never Quit.

Michael Monsoor wrote those words with a permanent marker inside the hat he wore during his BUDS training in Coronado. The lettering has faded but, displayed throughout the newly commissioned USS Michael Monsoor, the hat and its message will continue to inspire sailors for years to come.

In 2001, Michael enlisted in the Navy and set out to become a Navy SEAL. An injury derailed his first attempt, but Michael never quit. He returned, completed basic SEAL training, and was assigned to SEAL Team Three.

While deployed in Iraq, Michael ran forward, not away, from incoming gunfire to protect his teammates; and, when the time came, Michael threw himself upon an enemy grenade to save his team because Michael never quit.

For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, and the Medal of Honor. His legacy perseveres in the proud vessel stationed in San Diego.

Fair winds and following seas to the sailors who will call the USS Michael Monsoor their home, and may we all never quit.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Center for Excellence in Education, a non-profit that sparks curiosity in high school and university students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, on 35 years of service to communities across the country. Because of CEE's collaborative work, students, teachers, researchers, and leaders are successfully paving the way for a new generation of STEM leaders.

San Diegans know the value of promoting STEM opportunities. Some of our region's biggest employers are biotech companies, looking to our students for their future researchers in part thanks to CEE's work and alumni. One of the largest economic drivers in our region is our innovation economy, which relies on a workforce versed in STEM fields. CEE sponsors free programs that connect students and their teachers to educational institutions, private foundations, corporations, and government agencies, to help prepare students across the country for these high-quality jobs. Teachers also have benefitted from CEE enrichment programs offered in California and other states across the country. This past year, UC San Diego--one of our burgeoning centers for innovation--hosted CEE's USA Biology Olympiad.

As San Diego and our country continue to invest in STEM education and encourage students to be curious and connect with professionals, CEE sets a vision for that future. Their commitment to 35 years of service across the country deserves praise and recognition, and I am proud to congratulate them on their successes.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Takano for yielding. I appreciate his commitment to improving the lives of veterans, their families, and the communities. The Reserve Component Vocational Rehabilitation Parity Act, my bill before the House today, aims to continue investing in veterans, specifically those still fighting for our Nation.

Our veterans have served our country, and it is our duty to make sure they can access the resources that they have earned. Many guardsmen and reservists have realized that they didn't qualify for all their benefits after the Department of Defense began using their new authority created to call up Reserve components for involuntary service. This new authority unintentionally excluded these reservists.

Thankfully, Ranking Member Walz and Mr. Palazzo took the lead to fix several of these inconsistencies. We passed a few of these fixes in the Forever GI Bill last year. This week, we are also passing other bills to make sure benefits are properly extended.

One unresolved issue, though, was access to vocational rehabilitation. This VA program provides access to education and critical job training that helps servicemembers and veterans develop their career plan after service.

Vocational rehab helps veterans determine transferable skills that will lead to good jobs and what additional skills they need to fulfill their career goals.

Upon separation, a veteran must use his or her vocational rehab benefits within 12 years. Any months or years spent deployed should not count against this time clock.

Currently, two reservists serving side by side in Active Duty may not have access to the same vocational rehab benefits just because of the authority under which they have been mobilized. Additionally, reservists involuntarily called up may be leaving their family or a civilian job without notice, compared to a reservist who volunteered.

In both cases, these guardsmen and reservists served honorably in missions to support combat zones. They have earned the same employment and education benefits as every other reservist throughout their service.

My bill, the Reserve Component Vocational Rehabilitation Parity Act, ensures that reservists and guardsmen have access to the full 12 years of vocational rehab benefits by pausing the clock during their service.

I am happy to have received the support of the National Guard Association of the United States and the Reserve Officers Association in this effort.

I urge Congress to pass this bill so that all of our veterans can access the education benefits they earned.

Mr. Speaker, I thank General Bergman, who joined me to introduce this bill, and seven of our committee colleagues who cosponsored the bill, as Mr. Takano said. I also thank Chairman Roe, a wonderful chairman; Ranking Member Walz; and the Veterans' Affairs Committee staff for their steadfast work to support our Nation's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their strong support of the bill, and I urge its passage.